Students from multiple dorm buildings were involved in a disturbance in Hainer Residence Hall that started around 9:30 p.m. on September 8th. The disturbance is part of an ongoing “dorm war” between residence halls, according to an email sent by Eastern University administration. Eastern’s Public Safety office called the Radnor Police Department to the scene following the incidents.
According to the Public Safety Department’s Daily Crime Log, six “Disorderly” and “Disorderly Conduct” incidents and one “Assault: No Injury” incident were recorded on September 8th and 9th. According to a contract that students signed, the disturbance in Hainer’s basement was intended to be a friendly fight where no one would be hurt but got out of hand. Bricks were used during the situation around 9:45 p.m.
Dr. Anne Filippone, the Assistant Vice President for Student Development, said that the disturbance included “orbeez guns and other items that could be used to instill fear in others.” The crime log noted that a student was “assaulted with a brick during a ‘war’ between dorms” and included two other reports of students “causing a disturbance” in the Hainer basement.
The Resident Assistance team and Public Safety were notified around 10 p.m. on September 8th and “made reports as they became aware of the situation as it was unfolding,” according to Filippone.
According to the crime log, at 10 p.m., Public Safety was “notified about fighting on Olsen Field, upon arrival students were engaging in rough house behavior.” Between 10 p.m. and 10:32 p.m., Public Safety officers visited the scene, and “upon approaching, students claim[ed] to just be fooling around.”
The log also noted a report on Tuesday, September 9th at 8:19 p.m. of “Guffin Hall Gel Guns (Dorm Wars Contraband)” and marked Monday, September 8th at 10 p.m. as the incident time.
Officers from the Radnor Police Department arrived on campus and “were asked to do extra patrols of campus as a result of behaviors being reported in various areas of campus,” according to Filippone. It is still unclear when they arrived.
On the morning of September 9th, Eastern students were sent two emails at 1:51 a.m. and 2:04 a.m. titled “Important Safety Notice.” The emails are as follows:
“Dear Students,
We are experiencing a significant amount of unruly behavior on campus tonight by Eastern University students. For your safety and the safety of our community, please remain vigilant. If you notice anything unusual, report it immediately to Public Safety at 610-341-1737 or call 9-1-1.
Radnor Police have been notified and will be conducting increased patrols throughout the night. We appreciate your cooperation in helping maintain a safe and respectful campus environment.”
The emails came from both Filippone and Sharina Hudson, Assistant Director of Residence Life. Notably, emails were only sent to resident students, excluding faculty, staff and commuter students. No information was sent from the emergency text alert system Eastern employs, although Eastern sent an email from “EU Alert” at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday, September 11th encouraging students to sign up for the text alert system.
While the emails did not present much information, a follow-up email was sent by Hudson a day later at 4:57 p.m.
“Thank you for your attention to last night’s safety message. The activity that prompted our notice was connected to an on-campus game that unfortunately escalated into some concerning student behaviors. There was no external danger to the University community.
We are gathering information to better understand what occurred and to address the behavior appropriately. As always, your safety and well-being remain our highest priority. We encourage you to continue reporting any concerns to Public Safety at 610-341-1737 or 9-1-1. If you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact Public Safety or Student Development (anne.filippone@eastern.edu) to make a report.
Thank you for your cooperation in fostering a safe and respectful campus environment.”
Several factors remain unconfirmed, including the number of police officers on campus and the students involved. According to Filippone, the case is still “an active process in student conduct.”
Filippone emphasized that student safety and well-being remain the highest priority of Eastern administration. “We encourage students to continue reporting any concerns to Public Safety at 610-341-1737 or 9-1-1. If you or they have any information regarding these incidents, please contact Public Safety or Student Development to make a report,” said Filippone.
The Waltonian team will continue to investigate this breaking story and will provide more updates as information is confirmed.